Hinge



(ModeL) J. K. CLARK.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

SPRING HINGE.

=2 illlllllllllll m ulzimm nun-m1 Patented Apr. 17,1883;

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UNITED STATES PATENT, FFlCEe JOHN K. CLARK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SPRING-HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,000, dated April17, 1883.

Application filed February 6, 1883. (ModeL) T 0 all whom it may. concernBe it known that 1, JOHN K. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bufialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Hinges, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of spri n g-hin geswhich are composed of two leaves, each having top and bottom eyed lugs,through which passes a connectingpintle, a coiled spring encircling thepintle between the said lugs and secured at one end to a collar forengaging a device on one of the hinge-leaves in such manner that thecollar can be rotated to adjust or vary the tension of the spring andthen be locked in its adjusted position.

The object of my invention is to provide novel and eflicient means forengaging the collar to lock it when adjusted; and to this end I providea swinging device which is loosely supported by an arm or studprojecting from a ring or equivalent contrivance, whereby rivets arerendered unnecessary to form a bearin g for the locking device toswing'upon, and all parts comprising the hinge, except the spring, canbe cast complete without resorting to drilling and fitting, thusmaterially reducing the cost of manufacturing those hinges of thecharacter alluded to, which are provided with swinging hooks to lock thetension-adjusting collar.

The manner of carrying out my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan view, lookingat-the front of a hinge provided with my invention; Fig. 2, aperspective view of the several parts detached; Fig. 3, a plan view,looking at the rear of the hinge; and Fig. 4, a detached enlarged viewof the swinginglockin g device and its support.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- The numerals 1 indicatethe leaves of the hinge; 2, the top and bottom eyed lugs; and 3, theconnecting-pintle 4, the coiled spring, having its lower end seated in acup-shaped collar, arranged to turn with one of the leaves,

I and its other end arranged in acup-shaped recess in a notched collar,5, which constitutes a tension-adjusting device for the spring.

The parts referred to are in substance the same as spring-hingesheretofore constructed.

The notched collar or equivalent tension adj usteris adapted to berotated for the purpose of changing or varying the tension of thespring, and when the collar is adjusted to secure the requisite tensionit is locked in such position by a swinging hook, lever-latch, orsimilar device, adapted to engage the same. To support this swinginglocking device without the necessity of arranging it on a separate pinor projection, which must be riveted to one of the hingeleaves, Iloosely support or suspend such device in a seat, 7, provided in anarm,8, formed on a ring or other contrivance, which is secured in place bythe pintle of the hinge passing through it. As here shown a ring islocated between the two top eyed lugs of the respective hinge-leaves,and constitutes an intervening washer, which subserves the function ofsustaining the locking device for the tension-adjustin g collar.

The collar-locking device 6 consists in the present example of aright-angled plate of cast metal, one arm being adapted to engage any ofthe notches in the tension'adjusting collar, and provided with afinger-piece, 9, for retracting or disengaging it from the collar, whilethe other arm is provided at its end with a curved projection, 10, thecurved part resting in the seat 7, which is correspondingly curved, thusproviding an accurate bearing on which the locking device can rock orswing to engage and disengage the notched collar.

In order to prevent the ring from turning on the pintle, and therebydisengage the locking device from the tension-adj ustin g collar, Iprovide the rear portion of. the ring with a lateral projection orshoulder, 11, which rests against an abutment, 12, formed by one wall ofa recess in the rear side of one of the hingeleaves. The abutment forthe rear projection or shoulder of the ring could be otherwiseconstructed--as, for example, it could be formed by a lug projectingfrom the hinge-leaf; but the recess illustrated is the most desirable inthat it brings the rear of the ring flush with the rear surface of thehinge-leaf.

The several devices composing the hinge,

IOC

except the coiled spring, are cast complete, and in arranging themtogether for use no drilling or fitting is essential. Hence, it will beobvious that the hinge can be manufactured 5 at less cost than thosehinges of a somewhat similar character in which the swinging lockingdevice is hung on a pivot riveted to one of the hinge-leaves.

I do not confine myself to the particular to form of locking device,tension-adjusting collar, and ring interposed between the eyed lugs asherein shown, for the reason that so far as I am aware notension-adjusting collar has been locked and unlocked by a swinging der5 vice suspended from a ring or equivalent contrivance without thenecessity of riveting the bearing or pivot of the swinging lockingdevice to some part of the hinge-leaf, which of course necessitatesdrilling the hinge-leaf to 20 receive the bearing or pivot.

JOHN CLARK.

Witnesses:

CHARLES B. HILL, HENRY H. GUENTHER.

